Chapter 284. Back to How We Were

Aurora’s POV

Almost a week had passed, but the weight in my chest didn’t get any lighter. In fact, it got worse. Graduation was right around the corner—a moment I had waited for with hope and excitement—but instead of joy, I felt like I was carrying a boulder on my back. I kept telling myself it would all work out, that things would fall back into place with time, but that was a lie I’d been feeding myself every morning just to get through the day.

Every time I saw Ashton and Maggie laughing from a distance or passing by without so much as meeting my eyes, the knot in my stomach tightened. They hadn’t been cruel—not at all. Maggie even came up to me the day after the incident and apologized for slapping me. She looked me straight in the eyes, voice trembling, and said, “I was out of line. I shouldn’t have laid a hand on you.” I had forgiven her instantly. But forgiveness didn’t undo damage. Since then, it was like an invisible wall had gone up between us, one that